Self-Care for You and Your Students

By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL

The second half of fall semester is bound to be a stressful time both for you and your students. For students, major assignments start to pile up and they begin to feel that they can’t stay on top of things. For faculty, keeping up with grading becomes more and more of a challenge. So we are providing some tips for de-stressing, both for yourself and your students. Contributing to this list are Professors Lisa Jennings and Barb Crumpacker Niedner, Deondra Devitt (HR), and Natalie Muskin-Press (Student Life).

So read on for some ideas to help you and your students keep your balance in the weeks ahead.

SELF-CARE FOR YOU:

Take a Break from Technology: Barb Crumpacker Niedner does this by adding the following line to her email signature: “Please note: I aim to ‘cyber-fast’ from work technology evenings and weekends. I will get back to you the next business day. Please plan accordingly.”

Watch for Burnout: Warning signs of burn-out can include increased negativity and decreased empathy. Be aware of whether you are getting fixated on small behavior or frustrations and using them to write students off. If you notice that, spend time decompressing or recentering yourself by working to find empathy and understanding for yourself and others.

Grade in a Nicer Setting: Now and then do your grading somewhere other than your office: in a coffee shop, the Faculty Study, or with a friend.

Set a Timer While Grading: If you are writing comments on student drafts, allow yourself to stop after 15 minutes. Students won’t be able to absorb additional comments, and writing improves gradually, not all at once. Focus on just 2-3 areas for students to work on in revisions, and also let them know at least one concrete thing they are doing well. If you are assessing final drafts and have already seen previous drafts, set your timer for just 5 minutes and decide on the grade.

Blackboard Grading Tip: Blackboard does not automatically submit a zero for students who have not turned in assignments. While it may take a lot of prodding on your part to get students to turn in late assignments (if you allow this), they will respond with lightning speed if you manually enter a zero for an assignment not turned in.

Set a Goal: Before you start grading, determine the number of papers/assignments you want to finish so you don’t overdo it. This will also give you a sense of accomplishment once you actually complete the assignment.

Make Plans for a Break: Even if it is just to grab a quick coffee with a colleague, friend, family member, or neighbor. Catch a movie. Giving yourself something to look forward to other than work will provide stress relief.

SELF-CARE FOR YOUR STUDENTS:

Excused Absence for Mental Health: Consider allowing students one mental health day as an excused absence.

Weekly Check-In: Once a week, schedule a 5-minute check in with students. Students often feel that they alone are struggling to keep up with their coursework. They are relieved to learn that other students are also struggling.

Schedule a Class De-Stressing Day: Consider scheduling an official “de-stressing day” near finals for the entire class. Give students specific options on what to do, such as: coffee with a friend, meditation, journaling, etc. Then have them report to the class on how it went. This will help them learn de-stressing techniques from each other.

Free-writing: Give your students a 5-10- minute time to free write during class. Don’t collect the writing, just give them the chance to put down on paper what is on their mind. Write yourself as well!

Walk-In Hours: Call your office hours “Walk-In Hours” and see if more students show up! Encourage them to stop by just to chat.

Use the Technology your Students Use: Make it easy for them to add work/due dates to Google Calendar. Use YouCanBookMe or a similar scheduling tool so that with one click your students can schedule you for office hours or a meeting.

Know/Talk About Mental Health Referrals: Normalize seeking help. Include resources in your email signature or use the Out of Office function to create a standard email reply for students that can operate as a FAQ for your classroom and provide information for mental health/physical health resources.